In order to be able to produce the electrical connections which are required for operation in a cost-effective manner, a conductor track structure which is at least substantially embedded in the plastic housing of the electrical component is regularly used. This embedding is carried out, for example, when producing the plastic housing in the injection-molding method.
In the known electrical component (EP 0 510 843 B1) on which the invention is based, the conductor track structure is designed as a leadframe. Such leadframes are regularly punched from conductive sheet metal in a punching operation. The resultant conductor tracks are connected to one another at predetermined locations after the punching operation, with the result that the leadframe can be handled as a whole and does not fall apart. In this state, the leadframe is supplied to an injection-molding process in which the plastic housing is injection-molded with the inclusion of the leadframe. The connections which still exist are then electrically interrupted.
The disadvantage of the known production of the conductor track structure is first of all the fact that the course of the wires is subject to tight restrictions. It goes without saying that it is not possible for the individual conductors to cross over on account of the punching process.
Furthermore, the disadvantage of the conductor track structure in the form of a leadframe is that targeted coating, for example of a particular section of a particular conductor, is possible only with a large amount of effort since the leadframe can be handled only as a whole.